Canna Lilies

Canna x generalis

Foliage can be deep green, burgundy, blue-green, or even striped with red-bronze or white.

The combination of leaf and flower color can be stunning and unusual.

These plants are not true lilies. And they're often described as easy care.

Yes, anyone can grow them...but growing them well, so that they're gorgeous and full, takes some work. Without it, this can become a ratty-looking eyesore you'll wish you'd never planted.

Canna lily care can be too intensive for some people. This is certainly not a plant for the armchair gardener - which explains why it isn't planted more often in home landscapes.

Only an avid devotee of tropical gardening will enjoy providing the regular attention cannas require - water, fertilization, deadheading, and removing browned leaves. They also spread, so thinning out beds every few years.

But the rewards are great if you have the motivation to do the work.

The sight of a well-kept bed of these plants makes magnificent landscape statement.

This plant loves water. Some varieties are marginal pond plants that
like boggy areas, but most prefer a well-drained location with frequent
waterings.

Because of its spreading habit, love of water and
need for maintenance, this plant is typically planted alone or with few
other plants rather than mixed in with a lot of different things.

Cannas bloom during warm months of the year. They're available in tall or small varieties.

Rhizomes (they look like funky elongated potatoes) or young plants are usually available in spring at your local nursery.